There was a time in my life when I was enthralled by yoga. To this day, I still find the combination of physical and spiritual practice awesome. To me, it follows this holistic mentality that I aim to create in my own life and with Viva Wellness.

Time To Revisit an Old Friend

I’ve fallen off the yoga wagon for some time now and I admit it never was a consistent practice of mine to begin with. When I found myself on the cusp of attending a restorative yoga class recently with my friend and business partner Rachel, I found myself both excited and nervous (or nerve-scited as I like to say).

I have forgotten the names of many poses and didn’t feel confident in my ability to be the perfect yoga student, but I went anyway. And I’m glad I did.

Restorative yoga as it turns out, was a great way for me to get back into yoga slowly. With a nagging, yet sporadic, back injury and having gotten older (and less flexible and heavier) I knew I wasn’t ready for the average yoga class. First I needed to get to know my body again in this way. After all, yoga is a really unique way of movement.

With my courage in tow, and a comrade by my side, I took the class. Soon I realized that restorative yoga wasn’t about being the strongest or most flexible (and as the lone guy in a class of women I knew I wouldn’t be!). Restorative yoga is about creating a space to come back to one’s self physically and spiritually. It was just what I needed to be honest.

Being Aware of & Working Through Discomfort

We made our way through a few poses, very slowly and carefully. I felt inflexible, sore, self-conscious and anxious. Fortunately, we also had the great opportunity to have a sound bath in the midst of our practice which was so incredibly healing. I remember shedding a few tears of worry and anxiety about being busy, feeling stressed and overwhelmed with plans moving forward. I felt a release. I gained clarity and a renewed sense of peace and focus. Consider me restored!

It wasn’t until that moment that I knew how much stress I had really been carrying emotionally and physically. Sometimes it takes us steeping outside of our comfort zones to really check-in in a much deeper way.

And therein lies the lesson, I think. We may often find ourselves living in a routine on autopilot on most days. Life kind of demands that of you. But what you don’t realize is that in order to really be present with ourselves, we must slow down and take a moment to reflect. Sometimes that moment can be taken while doing something familiar, but I find more often than not that some challenge, some novelty or difference, can be a quick way to unlock what’s going on with you and help you learn what you really need.

So switch it up. Go out, try something new and be brave, even in the smallest of ways. You never know what’s on the other side of that discomfort.

Author: Jor-El

Jor-El is Co-founder of Viva Wellness and a foodie and film buff. He most often writes about mental health, relationships, food and mindfulness. When he’s not busy working, he typically can be found lounging or walking around NYC with his pup Nomi.